Transmission/reception device and transmission/reception method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transmission/reception device and a transmission/reception method that improves a transmission characteristic in human body communication. The transmission/reception device includes three electrodes including a human body side electrode in contact with a human body, a space side electrode provided on a space side, not the human body side, and a circuit board provided with a circuit. At the time of transmission, a switch between the space side electrode and the circuit board is turned off to make a three-pole electrode configuration having superiority in the transmission characteristic, and each electrode is caused to function as an independent electrode. At the time of reception, the switch between the space side electrode and the circuit board is turned on to electrically short-circuit the space side electrode and the circuit board, to cause the electrodes to function as a two-pole electrode configuration having superiority in the transmission characteristic.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A transmission/reception device, comprising:
 a three-pole electrode configured to transmit a signal via a communication medium, wherein 
 the three-pole electrode is connected to a plurality of transmission drivers, and 
 each transmission driver of the plurality of transmission drivers is configured to transmit the signal by differential output; 
 a two-pole electrode configured to receive the signal via the communication medium, wherein 
 the communication medium is a human body, and 
 the two-pole electrode includes an amplification unit configured to:
 receive the signal; and 
 amplify the received signal; and 
 
 a switching unit configured to switch the transmission/reception device to function as: 
 the three-pole electrode at a time of transmission of the signal, and 
 the two-pole electrode at a time of reception of the signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The transmission/reception device according to  claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is further configured to:
 control the transmission/reception device to function as the three-pole electrode and to restrict the function of the transmission/reception device as the two-pole electrode, at the time of transmission of the signal; and 
 control the transmission/reception device to function as the two-pole electrode and to restrict the function of the transmission/reception device as the three-pole electrode, at the time of reception of the signal. 
 
     
     
       3. The transmission/reception device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the three-pole electrode and the two-pole electrode include:
 a human body side electrode that is in contact with the human body; 
 a space side electrode that is on a space side; and 
 a circuit board Gnd that has a Gnd pattern which functions as an electrode of the circuit board Gnd, wherein the circuit board Gnd comprises a circuit. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The transmission/reception device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the three-pole electrode independently includes the human body side electrode, the space side electrode, and the circuit board Gnd, 
 the two-pole electrode includes the human body side electrode and a first electrode, and 
 the space side electrode and the circuit board Gnd are integrated in the first electrode. 
 
     
     
       5. The transmission/reception device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the switching unit is further configured to switch the space side electrode to electrically one of contact or non-contact the circuit board Gnd, 
 at the time of transmission, the switching unit is further configured to bring the space side electrode and the circuit board Gnd into an electrically non-contact state to make a three-pole electrode configuration in which the human body side electrode, the space side electrode, and the circuit board Gnd are independent from each other, to control the transmission/reception device to function as the three-pole electrode, and 
 at the time of reception, the switching unit is further configured to bring the space side electrode and the circuit board Gnd into an electrically contact state to make a two-pole electrode configuration in which the space side electrode and the circuit board Gnd are integrated, to control the transmission/reception device to function as the two-pole electrode. 
 
     
     
       6. The transmission/reception device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 an impedance is provided between the human body side electrode and the space side electrode. 
 
     
     
       7. A transmission/reception method, comprising:
 switching a transmission/reception device to function as:
 a three-pole electrode at a time of transmission of a signal, wherein
 the three-pole electrode is configured to transmit the signal via a communication medium, 
 the three-pole electrode is connected to a plurality of transmission drivers, and 
 each transmission driver of the plurality of transmission drivers is configured to transmit the signal by differential output; and 
 
 
 a two-pole electrode at a time of reception of the signal, wherein
 the two-pole electrode is configured to receive the signal via the communication medium, 
 the communication medium is a human body, and 
 the two-pole electrode includes an amplification unit configured to:
 receive the signal; and 
 amplify the received signal. 
 
 
 
     
     
       8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute operations, the operations comprising:
 switching a transmission/reception device to function as:
 a three-pole electrode at a time of transmission of a signal, wherein
 the three-pole electrode is configured to transmit the signal via a communication medium, 
 the three-pole electrode is connected to a plurality of transmission drivers, and 
 each transmission driver of the plurality of transmission drivers is configured to transmit the signal by differential output; and 
 
 a two-pole electrode at a time of reception of the signal, wherein
 the two-pole electrode is configured to receive the signal via the communication medium, 
 the communication medium is a human body, and 
 the two-pole electrode includes an amplification unit configured to:
 receive the signal; and 
 amplify the received signal.